Effective hiring is incredibly difficult, and "past work" is never a sure fire indicator of ones aptitude for your companies' needs. A person hiring needs to consider how a candidate will fit within a work environment and get along with the current team (an otherwise very nice and highly skilled person sometimes just doesn't mesh with the way a team likes to work, not out of unwillingness on anyone's part, but simply out of the fact that we all have habits).
Are they the sort of person that can hit the deadlines we need and doesn't mind the stress and extra hours involved?
Will they be comfortable with our business philosophy and practices?
What kind of outlook do they have on their career? What at this point in their life is important to them (career? kids? sailing around the world?)
Hiring is messy, mainly because it involves humans. Past work may be a good chaff filter, but it's by far not the only consideration to finding a good candidate for your needs.
I'm just saying if I'm looking to work for a startup as a non-founder, the first thing I'd want to know is... what did the founders do before this? If it's related and was successful that's going to give me more confidence than just about anything else.
Are they the sort of person that can hit the deadlines we need and doesn't mind the stress and extra hours involved?
Will they be comfortable with our business philosophy and practices?
What kind of outlook do they have on their career? What at this point in their life is important to them (career? kids? sailing around the world?)
Hiring is messy, mainly because it involves humans. Past work may be a good chaff filter, but it's by far not the only consideration to finding a good candidate for your needs.